Friday, March 23, 2012

Cookies Three Ways

Or Cookies 4 ways if you count the chocolate chip cookie dough I put in the freezer for my girls and I to snack on later!  Erick told me on Sunday that we were responsible for some refreshments for a church event tonight. And then on Monday we found out that we were moving.  This has been one crazy week! So between trying to figure out the move, work my job, doctor appointments, migraine headaches, and pure exhaustion the blog has been a little forgotten.  I figured that since I was making some refreshments I would do an extra big post today to make up for the lost week.  If there is one thing I can do well it is to bake cookies.  I think I am a pretty good cook.  I have other people tell me I am a good cook.  But if there is one thing I know how to do, this is it!  Today I made Peanut Butter Cookies, Sinckerdoodles, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. The Peanut Butter and Snickerdoodle cookie recipes came from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.  The Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe was given to me from a friend.  I did tweak it a little to my taste. I made a 1/2 batch today, because it is a huge recipe, but I will give you the full recipe below.
Well, lets get started!

Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 C. Margarine
1/2 C. Peanut Butter (I used Creamy)
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/4 C. Flour

Mix Margarine, Peanut Butter, Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Egg in a mixing bowl.  When measuring your Peanut Butter put a plastic bag over your measuring cup before filling it with peanut butter.  Then the peanut butter will fall right our and the cup will stay clean. 
 SUPER EASY clean up!
Add the Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Vanilla and mix.
Add the Flour and mix. Drop by rounded teaspoon
- or with a cookie scoop like I did -
 onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
To make the markings on the peanut butter cookies I like to use a potato masher.  You can do the traditional method with a fork if you would like.  I think the cookies are sweet enough, so I use flour on the potato masher instead of sugar to keep the masher from sticking to the cookie dough.
 
Bake at 375* for 7-10 minutes


Snickerdoodles


1/2 C. Margarine
1 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tarter
1 1/2 C. Flour
cinnamon
sugar

Mix together Margarine, Sugar, Egg, Vanilla, Baking Soda,
 and Cream of Tarter
Add Flour. When you  first mix it the batter will appear crumbly. 
 Just get your clean hands into the bowl and press it together!
Mix together cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.  I believe cinnamon sugar is a subjective thing.  Some people like a lot of cinnamon and some like a little.  I just look for the color to be about right. 
If you are a person that simply must have measurements then do a 6 to 1 ratio --- 6 T. sugar to 1 T. cinnamon.
Drop spoonfuls or cookie scoops of batter into the cinnamon sugar, roll it around and put the cookies on an ungreased cookies sheet.

Bake at 375 * for 9-12 minutes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 C. Margarine
2 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
2 1/2 C. Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
6 1/2 C. Flour
1 (12 oz) bag Mini Chocolate Chips - frozen

Mix Margarine, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla, and Baking Soda.
 Add Flour and Mix well.
The batter will be thick and sticky.  It may not mix completely with your mixer - depending on what type you have - so just wash those hands, and stick them in the bowl and mix it up!
Next I add a full bag of frozen chocolate chips.  I like mini chips - I just prefer them. You use your favorite chocolate chip - but make sure it is frozen.  I have found that those frozen chips tighten up the batter, making the batter less sticky and the frozen chips improves the way the cookie bakes.  I like the look and the texture of the cookie when it has been made with the frozen chocolate chips.
Again, you might need to get those hands in there to mix it up.  Do not use your mixer to blend in the chocolate chips.  Once your batter is mixed drop by rounded teaspoon or with a cookie scoop on to an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes.
And there you have it! 
Cookies Three Ways!

Let me know if you try one of my recipes.
I would love to hear what you think!






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